7.0Chase Wellbrock tossed a career-long 7.0 innings in relief against Lamar on Tuesday.

10 Houston is now 10-0 this season when leading after the 7th inning.

2 Both wins by Chase Wellbrock this season have come in relief performances at Cougar Field.

HOUSTON-- Sophomore Chase Wellbrock pitched 7.0 shutout innings in relief to lead the University of Houston baseball team to a 4-3 victory over Lamar on Tuesday evening in non-conference action at Cougar Field.

With the win, the Cougars improved to 12-18-1 overall, while Lamar fell to 12-19. Houston is now 10-0 this season when leading after the 7th inning.

"Every win is huge for this team. We have to play with a sense of urgency and I think that's what the team played with today," said head coach Todd Whitting. "I could tell before the game started we were going to win that game, even when we were down 2-0. The energy the team had was good. We had a couple of good days with them back here at practice."

Wellbrock (7.0,5,0,0,1,4) pitched a career-high 7.0 innings without allowing a single run on just five scattered hits and one walk with four strikeouts, a season-best for the righty. His gutsy performance led him to his second win of the season as he improved to 2-1 after earning a season-opening win against Delaware on Feb. 18.

Lamar opened up the first with two early runs following a leadoff triple, sacrifice fly, a walk and RBI-single off of freshman starter Aaron Garza (1.0,3,2,2,1,0). Garza, making his seventh start this season, lasted only 1.0 inning after surrendering two runs on three hits and one walk.

Also earning a base knock for the Cougars were junior Chase Jensen (1x4, 2 RBI), who drove in two runs and senior John Cannon (1x4).

After three consecutive singles in the second, two of which were bunts, the Cardinals threatened to extend their lead, but Cannon's key pickoff at third base sparked a strong defensive inning for Houston. Wellbrock ended the frame with a nice 1-6-3 double play to keep the game at 2-0.

Houston never backed down as the Cougars plated a run in the third inning when Jensen's groundout plated Appling, who singled with one out and moved to third on a double by Lueneburg.

The Cougars went on to plate two more in the fifth on RBI from Jensen and Morehouse, plating Appling and Lueneburg, who were hit-by-pitch and singled, respectively. Houston added its fourth run in the sixth when Jacobs opened the frame with a double down the left field line, moved up to third on a Jonathan Davis sacrifice bunt and scored on a Runte sacrifice fly to right field.

Down 4-2, Lamar narrowed Houston's lead to one in the ninth following a leadoff double to right center, an infield single and sacrifice fly, but senior Mo Wiley (1.0,2,1,1,0,2) settled in to fan the next to Cardinal hitters to pick up his fourth save of the season.

GAME NOTES

Houston improved to 3-1 in games decided by one run this season.

The 7.0 innings pitched in relief for Chase Wellbrock was the longest relief effort by any Cougar this season.

Both wins by Wellbrock this season have come in relief.

The Cougars are 10-0 when leading after the 7th inning.

The win over Lamar snapped a two-game skid against the Cardinals as they earned both wins a year ago over Houston.

"We talked to them about what lies ahead and what they need to do. I'm still planning on this team being an at large team in the NCAA tournament. It's not out of the realm of possibility. We have some games ahead of us that we can win," said Whitting. "We do still have to get healthy but they just have to keep playing. There's always hope. As long as there is a ray of light from the tunnel you just have to keep playing."

UP NEXT Houston will pack its bags once again this weekend when it travels to Lubbock, Texas to take on Texas Tech in a three-game series, beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m., followed by a game on Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.